Lewis Hamilton completed one half of the job to secure a historic fifth World Championship by putting his Mercedes on pole position for the US Grand Prix.

Hamilton will seal the title in Austin, Texas on Sunday if he takes the chequered flag and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel fails to finish second.

The German was slower only than Hamilton in a nail-biting qualifying session, but he will be demoted to fifth after incurring a grid penalty for his failure to slow sufficiently under red flags in Friday’s practice.

Max Verstappen damaged his Red Bull on the kerbs at the exit of Turn 15 in the first qualifying session and played no further part.

His rear suspension was broken and the Dutchman’s crew were unable to complete the repairs before the start of Q2.

That was good news for Daniel Ricciardo, who has been out-performed by Verstappen in all of the 11 qualifying rounds since the Monaco Grand Prix. The Australian will start fourth following Vettel’s penalty.

But there was bad news again for McLaren with both of their drivers falling at the first hurdle.

The Woking team will be desperate for the season to end and so, too, will Fernando Alonso as his wonderful career fizzles out with a whimper.

The two-time world champion, who has just four races remaining before he retires at the end of the year, qualified 16th with his team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne slowest of all.

They will both rise two places, though, due to engine-change penalties dropping Toro Rosso pair Pierre Gasly and Brendon Hartley to the back of the grid.

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But he will start the race with a three-place grid penalty following a controversial stewards’ ruling for speeding under red flags in opening practice.

The stewards’ decision, made in wet conditions, had reduced Vettel’s slim title chances according to Ferrari team boss Maurizio Arrivabene and means that he cannot start on the front row of the grid for a race in which he knows another Mercedes one-two will give Hamilton his fifth drivers’ title.

Vettel was penalised for failing to slow down sufficiently after Charles Leclerc’s Sauber had left gravel on the track after a spin.

Rival drivers felt the three-place punishment was too strong.

“It’s quite a harsh penalty,” said Pierre Gasly of Toro Rosso. “If you’ve been really careful… It’s a shame, especially looking at the situation, still fighting for the championship. And now he gets a penalty, it’s not so exciting.”

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